NexStem's Wisdom SDK is a revolutionary tool aimed at taking the nascent tech of Brain Computer Interfaces to the masses. Sporting 'no code' workflows and playful triggers, the dashboard aims at alleviating the aura of the generally perceived 'complex world of eegs & BCIs'.
The core of the brief was to create a compelling logo that does justice to the innovative and futuristic work that Nexstem are doing. While the earlier logo was minimal, it served a functional purpose more than an emotional one. It showed exactly what the BCI headset is about, rather than talk about the bigger picture. The new logo not only brought a new dimension and narrative to the brand, but also added a spark of colours, not seen before in the segment.
One of the keystones for the Dashboard design was, the intent to make BCI’s accessible to all. This nascent tech has seen a barrier of entry owing to its prerequisite for technical knowledge and expertise. This instilled in the design and engineering team a need to simplify processes to the bare minimum. Processes that would otherwise take a fair share of cognitive load where meticulously leaned to their essentials. The lean processes along with engaging UI components made for a recipe that was intuitive and appealing
The Wisdom dashboard features various modules that allow the user to monitor their brain activity, create their own experiments, train algorithms and also to Deploy the BCI Pipelines designed by them. The platform hosts templates as well as guides for the users to kickstart their exploration of BCI enabled applications.
The Wisdom Dashboard features Visual coding for an intuitive workflow. The visual nature of interaction engages a wider audience irrespective of their expertise. The UI components play a key role in making the visual coding experience satisfying. Button states and various micro-interactions make for an engaging User Experience.
Inspite of its efforts to make the platform accessible, it doesn’t leave behind the needs of professionals who would like to take control of the platforms ability and think beyond. A local SDK for professionals which allows for API access and finer control through custom inputs is made available as well.
Play forms an integral part of learning amongst humans as well as animals. A goal achieved through play rather than a sequential task eliminates ‘analysis paralysis’ and cuts down cognitive load considerably. Play also significantly engages a wider audience in comparison to a typical approach. These thoughts led to ‘play’ being one of the key tenets of the Dashboard’s Design Philosophy and is imbued in various touch-points in the dashboard.
The visualisation module for instance features a graphic of the product along with the 16 electrode positions. The earlier pilot version featured an array of checkered boxes with the names of the electrodes (Pz, CPz, etc). While the electrode names were clearly mentioned, this caused a noticeable ‘Analysis Paralysis’. A preliminary enquiry also revealed that most users tend to not remember the electrode positions inspite of its importance. This was taken as an opportunity to incorporate play and simultaneously get the user to familiarise with the product that they own, an hypotheses initially. The electrode selection was then made visually engaging with respect to the BCI owned by the user. The hypothesis later proved to be true, by engaging users and reducing electrode selection times drastically.
The Principles framed by the Branding team are incorporated in the UI throughout. The vibrant color palette find its application conveying various states and making for an engaging experience. The colours make for a breath of fresh air in the space of ‘BCI Dashboards’. They also signify the relentless and young spirit of NexStem as a company. The backdrops have a flair of gradients and colours in motion, setting the mood for a unique experience.
